Ethiopia’s eight irrigation dams are out of ownership
Construction Works Corporation has announced that it has lost the body to take over eight irrigation dams
The eight irrigation dams that Ethiopian Construction Works Corporation took over as settlement capital years ago, from 2019.
The organization CEO Mr. Yonal Ayalew announced that even though it was transferred to another institution by decree, there was no body to take it over.
In 2019 according to a decree issued to define the powers and responsibilities of the executive bodies, the projects should have been handed over to the previous Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy to manage them, but the ministry was unable to take over, so they wrote a letter to the Prime Minister office.
According to the findings of the Auditor General’s Office, the irrigation dams have an unpaid service debt of over 288 million birr. The irrigation dams were built in 2022.
It was stated that when a new executive body was established in the re-establishment of the government and the former Ministry of Water and Irrigation was divided into two, the ownership of the irrigation projects was transferred to the Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands areas.
However, the Ministry which was given the authority to manage the projects according to the new allocation of executive powers, could not take over because it did not have the organization to manage the dams.
Yonas (Engineer) submitted the question regarding the performance of the corporation’s project construction in the year 2021 and 2022 of the institution.
During their meeting with the Standing Committee and the Office of the Federal Auditor General to review operational audits.
These dams used for irrigation services were first given to the corporation to manage them by decree, but after a while their ownership was given to the former Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy, and then to the Ministry of Irrigation and Lowland Areas. We are carrying expenses, we need the help of the council,” he said.
Among the projects managed by the corporation are Tandaho Dam and Irrigation Development Project, Rib Dam Construction Project, Kesem Dam and Irrigation Construction Project, Gidabo Dam Construction Project, Tandaho Drinking Water Development Project.
